The Susara Holistic Ballet Method was created by MyBallet founder and Artistic Director, Carla Steenkamp Sheills ARAD. Here she describes the motivation behind its development.
Movement is our first language. We move all day, every day – something many of us do not even realise. From our development in utero to the constant flow of blood through our veins we are, as a dear friend of mine describes it, ‘walking eco systems’.
Our eyes move to follow words or actions. A smile or hand gesture is an eloquent form of expression. Our brains move to make our movement happen. To me, ballet is a stylised aspect of movement – it is a method of expressive movement, a story-telling artform and in ballet terms also an athletic art form.
The question for each of us is ‘How do we move through our lives’? Are we restricted? Are there personal, social, emotional or environmental obstacles which prevent us from moving or dancing as we might want to? I believe all of us are natural movers, but we lose our sense of freedom as obstacles get in the way and we build negative self-perception and mental attitudes that stop us moving with ease.
Perhaps you were told as a child that your expressive movement was ‘naughty’, or you grew up in a small flat with no space to move, or suffered childhood trauma which restricted your movement range. Any of these circumstances could make you feel shy or inhibited and may represent a lifelong obstacle to you moving naturally and expressively. In short, you might not feel safe enough to dance. Perhaps more simply you never had the opportunity or finance to learn to dance early on, so never developed the confidence to express yourself.
Our inhibitions and attitudes around movement develop early in our lives and stick with us unless we decide otherwise – something I can vouch for in my own personal journey which has included illness, insecurity and a need for safety and reassurance – both as a person and as a trainee dancer.
Helping people to re-discover the language of continuous movement drove me to develop the Susara Holistic Ballet Method in 2010. I always felt that there was more to ballet than the ballet itself. I wanted a holistic approach which deliberately integrated a focus on health and well-being into every class. A facilitated approach where people feel safe in their space and enjoy the benefits of dance.
That is the core of the MyBallet offer and our unique integrated method – always accompanied by a soundtrack of inspiring music – has evolved through years of study, practice and experience. Today there is a tried and tested ‘recipe book’ that the teaching team follow.
The fact is dance is precious. It is tremendous fun. It is nice to dance. It is a pleasure to dance. People automatically beam a smile when they dance unless they are stressed by steps or inner inhibitions.
Through the Susara method we help to remove the obstacles that prevent people from dancing. Teaching classical ballet and technique is the core of our classes, but we ensure that we create harmony between ballet and people’s physical or mental limitations. People often fight their own bodies, wanting to achieve more without considering their own health requirements. For us, technique is less important than ensuring our dancers can move with ease; we help them achieve more whilst ensuring they keep their bodies safe. Seeing their visible joy in movement is what brings beauty to every MyBallet session.
The Susara Holistic Ballet Method is named in honour of my wonderful mother. I have been fortunate to shape it together with an amazing team of dance teachers and members who have been trusting, willing and very loyal in sticking with me through an extraordinary dance journey. Together we continue to explore and create, but I believe we have reached a point where MyBallet classes offer a harmony between ballet and our physical limitations. I have huge gratitude for their collective support.”
© Carla Steenkamp Sheills ARAD